Ring shaped closure remover



R. H. WILLIAMS RING SHAPED CLOSURE REMOVER Oct. 14, 1952 Filed June 3, 1950 IN V EN TOR.

Patented Oct. 14, 1952 UNITED: -jSTATE zxnasss v V RINGSHAPEDCLOSURE REMOVER Raymond H. Williams, Chicago, 111., assignor to White Cap Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application June 3, 1950. Serial No. 165,88 .4 Claims. (01. 21546) The present invention relates to a new and improved device for removing pressed-on type closure caps from containers.

Closure caps of the pressed-on type are in wide usage in connection with bottles, jars, cans, and the like, in which a Wide variety of goods are packaged, especially many different food prod- 'ucts. Pressed-on closure caps of the type to which reference is here made are; forsexample, shown and described in Patent No. 2,339,827 granted January 25, 1944, to William P. White. This cap has :an upper top portion having a cylindrical side wall from which depends an outwardly flared skirt portion containing a flexible gasket. The exact details of construction of the pressed-n type caps are notimportant in so far as the present invention is concerned.

This pressed-on type of cap fits snugly in place over the mouth of a container and therein lies one of its main advantages. However, it is d-ifficult manually to remove one of these caps from its seated position without the use of a tool of some sort, such, for example, as the back side of a knife blade which can be inserted inbe-' tween the bottom rim of the cap and the bead formed around the container neck, and then twisted so as to displace the. cap.

The object of the present inventionfgene'rally stated, is a simple, economical device for removing pressed-on type closure caps of the class described, which device may either be left in place on one of the caps or may be removed andused from time to time as required.

A more specific object of the invention is a cap removing device for removing pressed-on closure caps of the class described wherein the device consists mainly of a ring portion which fits over the top portion of the cap and rests on the outwardly flared skirt portion and has an integral hook formed on one side thereof which extends down, around and under the skirt portion in lifting engagement therewith, this I hook portion having an arcuate width within the range of 40 to 50. which gives it maximum contact with the bottom edge of the skirt and yet permits the device to be conveniently and readily applied and removed from the cap while seated on the mouth of a container. v

Certain other objects of the invention will; in part, be obvious and will, in part, appear hereinafter.

For a more complete understanding of the nature and scope of the invention, reference may now be had to the following detailed description thereof taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a side elevationalview showing the top of a bottle type container closed with a pressed-on type cap closure to which has been applied a cap lifting or removing device-forming one embodiment of thepresent invention;

Fig. 2 is a view corresponding to Fig.1 but showing a vertical section of the closure cap and the lifting device taken on line 22 of Fig. 1 Fig. 3 is a view corresponding to Fig.2 but showing the manner in which the closure cap is lifted off from the mouth of the container or bottle; I k o Fig. 4 is a top plan view of Fig. l; and v Fig. 5 is a perspective view looking down on the cap removing or lifting device as shown in Figs. 1-4. t i In the drawings, the reference numeral, 5

designates a glass bottle container which is-intended to be typical and illustrative of jar, bottle and can type containers, generally. A circumferential bead or shelf 6 is formed around the mouth of the bottle below the upperrim or lip I thereof. The lip or rim 1 has a diameter which is slightly larger than the portion of the bottle mouth designated at 8 which lies in -between the bead 6 and the rim I.

In Figs. 1 and 2, the bottle .5 is shown closed by means of a pressed-on type .cap it which may, for examplabe made in accordance-with the aforementioned Patent 'No. 2,339,827. The pressed-on type cap It. comprises a'metal shell which has an upper cylindrical portion ill, the

side wall of which is vertical or straight and from the bottom of which integrallydepends'an outwardly flared skirtportion [2. The bottom circumferential edge of the skirt portion" [2 has a rolled under circumferential bead which is indicated at l3 and which serves to' grip and retain the bottom edge of a rubber. gasket Hi.

The cap closure I0 is ,applied'tothemouthjof the bottle 5 by pressing it downwardly thereon until the .top panel of the cap comes to rest against the top edge of the rim or lip 1 as; shown, for example, in Fig. 2. When the container Bis initially packed by the manufacturer, the-closure it will ordinarily be applied in vacuowhereby the resulting air pressure acting. on the topo'f the closure 10 serves to supplement theiriction action ofthe asket in holding itin place, After theclosure cap it has been once removed, how,-

ever, it may be reapplied by simply pushing it down in place so that it again seats on the rim 1 and the friction fit or gripping action of [the gasket on the container neck will be, sufficient 'tohold the. cap firmly in place. Intact, theicap the container 5 so that it is not conveniently removed without the aid of a tool of some type.

The closure cap II] or similar type closure caps of the pressed-on, friction fitting type may be easily and conveniently removed by a lifting device which is indicated generally at I5. The lifting device I5 may be formed of any material of sufficient strength such, for example, as metal or plastic.

The lifter I5 is preferably formed in one integral piece and comprises a ring member I6 from the bottom of one side of which projects a hook member I1. The interior of the ring member I6 has a diameter such that it fits snugly down over the upper portion II of the closure cap I!) as shown, for example, in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. The hook I 1 includes a cap gripping or engaging portion I8 having an arcuate inner edge 20 (Figs. 3 and 4)..

The hook II also is provided with an outwardly projecting handle portion 2| to the bottom of which pressure may be applied as indicated by the arrow 22 in Fig. 3 in order to lift the closure cap ID off from its seated position on the mouth of the bottle or container 5.

The hook I! has an arcuate width within the range of 40 to 50 measured along the circumference of the interior of the ring I6. This width is an important feature, since it permits the engaging portion I8 of the hook I! to have a maximum engagement with the bottom edge of the closure I0, while at the same time it permits the lifting device I5 to be conveniently and readily applied and removed from the closure cap I when it is already in place on a. container as shown, for example, in Fig. 1.

It is desirable that the hook I! have as wide or full engagement with the bottom edge I3 of the closure cap as is permissible since the larger area of contact permits the bearing or lifting pressure to be proportionately reduced, and maintained below a point where either the cap I0 or the lifting device I! tend to be deformed. Also it permits the lifting device I to have a maximum lifting strength for the amount of material and strength of material used in it.

However, the hook I! cannot have an arcuate width which is too large, otherwise it will not be possible to place the lifting device over the cap III and obtain a snug, close fit which prevents accidental slippage of the cap lifter when lifting pressure is exerted thereon.

It will be appreciated that certain changes and modifications may be made in the particular contour and shape of the lifting device I5 including the several portions thereof without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, all matter described above or shown in the accompanying drawings is intended to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense in so far as it concerns details of design which are a matter of choice and subject to variation.

Having fully described a preferred embodiment of the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A device for removing from its seated position on the mouth of a container a pressed-on type closure cap having a top portion from which depends an outwardly flared skirt portion, comprising a ring member having an interior diameter substantially the same as the exterior diameter of the cap to be removed and which fits down over the top of said cap and rests on the outwardly flared skirt portion thereof in circumferential engagement therewith and a hook portion formed an outwardly flared skirt.portion, which comprises, a ring member having an interior diameter substantially the same as the exterior of the cap to be removed and which fits down over and around said top portion of the cap and which rests on said outwardly flared depending skirt portion thereof in circumferential engagement therewith, a hook formed integrally on said ring which fits down around and engages said closure cap underneath said skirt portion, and an integral handle portion projecting from said hook Whereby lifting force may be applied to said cap to remove it from its seat.

3. A device for removing from its seat on the mouth of a container a pressed-on type closure cap having a top cylindrical portion from which depends an outwardly flared skirt portion having a rolled circumferential bottom edge, which comprises, a ring member the interior of which has a diameter which is substantially the same as the exterior diameter of the cap to be removed and allows the ring to fit snugly over and around said top cylindrical portion of the cap so as to rest on said outwardly flared skirt portion thereof in circumferential engagement therewith, a hook formed integrally on said ring so as to fit down around the skirt portion of said cap, said hook having an inwardly projecting arcuate portion which engages said rolled circumferential bottom edge of said cap when said device is in place thereon, and a handle portion projecting integrally from said hook whereby lifting pressure may be applied thereto, said arcuate portion of said hook having an arcuate width equal to that of a 40 to 50 segment of the circumference of the interior of said ring member and having a radius of curvature approximately equal to that of the interior of said ring.

4. The combination with a cap for a container, which cap is characterized by a thin sheet metal shell having a substantially cylindrical upper portion and an enlarged lower portion, of a lifter for the cap consisting of a one-piece member having a cylindrical bore of substantially the same height and diameter as the upper portion of the shell, which member fits over the cap in a position substantially flush with the top of the latter and in abutment at the lower end of the bore with the enlarged lower portion of the cap, said member being provided below the lower edge of the cap with an integral inturned portion in engagement with said lower edge and being also provided at a point intermediate the upper and lower edges of the member with an integral outwardly projecting tab portion.

RAYMOND H. WILLIAMS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the tile of this patent:

UNITED STATES ,PATENTS Number Name Date 985,255 Forsyth Feb. 28, 1911 1,628,715 Enkler et a1 May 17, 1927 1,944,310 Wagner Jan. '23, 1934 2,330,893 Hutefi Oct. 5, 1943 2,514,565 Capriccio July 11, 1950 

